Photo Scandal
by Zanessalover576
Summary: Zac and Vanessa have been dating for a couple years. Pictures from Vanessa's past come back to haunt her. Follow the Hudgens and Efron family as they go through the motions and try to get through this difficult time. I do not own any of the characters in this story, just the plot
1. Nightmare

Vanessa Hudgens was known for her role as Gabriella Montez in the Disney movie High School Musical. Her career had launched right after the premiere. Vanessa had signed with a record label when the movie got released. She had gone from an ordinary eighteen year old girl to one of the most popular teenagers in Hollywood. It was also no secret that she had fallen for her co-star Zac Efron. She and Zac had become a couple when they started filming and have been inseparable ever since. The couple had made a name for themselves. Vanessa and Zac's life at the moment was going perfectly.

"I miss you. When are you coming home?" Vanessa asked her boyfriend as she talked to him on the phone.

"I miss you too baby. I will be coming home in three weeks. We just need to get through the next couple of weeks. Australia isn't the same without you here with me" Zac said.

"I know. The next couple weeks are going to be hard" Vanessa said as she played with her hair.

"How's everything going at home?" Zac asked his girlfriend of two years.

"Everything is going okay. Stella and my parents have been trying to keep me busy" Vanessa said.

"Oh, hey babe I need to go. I will call you later okay?" Zac said.

"Okay, I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too Ness" Zac said.

The couple hung up and Vanessa walked downstairs in her home that she owned in the Hollywood hills. Her cell phone rang and Vanessa picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"Vanessa, it's Nicole. We have a problem" Nicole, Vanessa's publicist said.

"What's going on?" Vanessa asked as she sat down on her couch.

"A website just released some nude pictures of you. They are all over the internet" Nicole said calmly.

"What?" Vanessa asked as she grabbed her computer.

Vanessa opened her internet browser and saw the headlines and breaking news articles. She looked at the pictures and cried.

"Vanessa?" Nicole asked.

Vanessa took a deep breath and tried to gain her composure.

"Why did this happen to me?" Vanessa cried.

"Vanessa, there are magazines and newspapers asking for a statement. Do you want to make a comment?" Nicole asked.

"No" Vanessa cried.

"We are going to get to the bottom of this okay? I will call you in the morning and tell you what I know" Nicole said.

"Okay" Vanessa said as tears ran down her face.

Nicole and Vanessa hung up. Vanessa picked up her phone and called her parent's home.

"Hello?" Gina answered.

"Mom, can you come over please?" Vanessa cried.

"Van, what's wrong?" Gina asked worriedly.

"Just come over" Vanessa said.

"Okay, I'm on my way" Gina said.

The mother daughter duo hung up. Gina walked into the living room of her home where her husband, Greg was sitting.

"Vanessa just called crying. I'm going to go over there and see what's going on" Gina said.

"Is it Zac?" Greg asked about his daughter's boyfriend.

"I don't know but I am going to find out" Gina said as she kissed her husband's lips.

Gina walked out of the house and was met by the paparazzi that was camping outside of the Hudgens home.

"Gina, what do you think of Vanessa's nude photos? Have you talked to Vanessa? Did Zac release them?" the paparazzi asked.

Gina silently got into her car and drove away. She drove until she reached her eldest daughter's street and parked her car in front of the house. Paparazzi swarmed Gina as she walked to the front door of Vanessa's home. They showed the Gina the pictures that were accumulating on the internet. Gina unlocked the door to her daughter's home and walked in.

"Van?" Gina called.

Gina heard Vanessa cries coming from the living room. She walked into the room and saw Vanessa curled up in a ball. Gina sat next to Vanessa and took her into her arms.

"Honey, what's going on?" Gina asked.

Vanessa took a deep breath. Her mother didn't know about the pictures that Vanessa had took for her ex boyfriend that had just been released.

"I did something stupid" Vanessa said.

"What did you do?" Gina asked as she put her hand on Vanessa's shoulder.

"Please don't judge me" Vanessa said.

"Honey, tell me what's going on" Gina said.

"When I was going out with Michael a couple years ago, he asked me to send him some pictures of myself naked. I emailed them to him but he said that he had never got them. This morning, Nicole called me and said the pictures had been released everywhere" Vanessa cried.

"Oh honey" Gina said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter's body.

"Everyone is going to hate me. I will probably get fired" Vanessa cried.

"Van, listen to me. Everyone that knows you is not going to hate you. Yes, it was a big mistake but you can't change anything. Have you talked to Zac about it?" Gina asked.

"I haven't heard from him since this morning. I don't think he has seen them. I ruined my career and his" Vanessa said.

"Vanessa, we need to set up a meeting with Nicole and everyone and decide how we are going to handle this" Gina said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Vanessa's phone started playing the ringtone that she had used for Zac's number.

"Are you going to answer the phone?" Gina asked.

Vanessa shook her head. Gina walked over to the phone and looked at the caller ID.

"It's Zac" Gina said.

"You talk to him and explain what's going on. God, I can't even tell my boyfriend what is happening" Vanessa said.

"Alright" Gina said.

Gina picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Gina answered.

"Gina? I was looking for Vanessa. Is she around? I just got a call from my publicist and he told me about naked pictures that Van took or something. Is everything okay?" Zac asked.

"Hi Zac. Van doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. Everything is not okay. I don't think this problem is something that I am allowed to explain to you" Gina said.

"Is she okay?" Zac asked.

Gina walked into another room and sighed.

"Zac, she's hurting. She doesn't know what is going to happen. Van thinks she ruined both of your careers" Gina said.

"She isn't going to ruin anyone's career. I feel horrible not being home while she is going through this. Can I talk to her?" Zac asked.

Gina walked back into the living room and looked at her hurting daughter.

"Honey, Zac wants to talk to you" Gina said.

"I don't want to talk to anyone" Vanessa said.

Gina put her ear to the phone again.

"Zac, she said that she doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. Everything is just a mess right now" Gina said.

"I want to come home but I can't break my contract. Can you tell her that I love her and that I am going to help her through this?" Zac asked.

"I will tell her" Gina said.

"Thank you" Zac said.

Zac and Gina hung up the phone. Gina then sat next to her daughter once again and wrapped her arms around her.

"Why did I do something so stupid?" Vanessa asked herself.

"Baby, I can't answer that. I am going to bring you home" Gina said.

"Does daddy know?" Vanessa asked quietly.

Vanessa's father, Greg, was very protective over his two daughters. He didn't even want Zac and Vanessa to date but Gina forced him to let her. Gina knew that Greg was not going to be happy but she knew that the situation had to be discussed with him. Even if he gets angry about it.

"No, were are going to tell him when we get home" Gina said.

Vanessa nodded as tears ran down her cheeks. Gina helped Vanessa get off the couch. The women then left the house and saw the paparazzi that was lined up in front of Vanessa's home. Gina drove down the driveway and yelled out of the window.

"Can't you people leave her alone?! Get out of here" Gina said.

Gina drove away and occasionally looked over at Vanessa. Once Gina got onto her street, she sighed. Gina then drove into the driveway and parked her car. The two women got out of the car and walked into the house.

"Greg?" Gina called.

Greg appeared at the front door and his face softened as he looked at his upset daughter.

"Van, what's wrong?" Greg asked his daughter.

"The three of us need to talk" Gina said.

Greg led Vanessa into the living room. The three adults sat down. Greg looked at his wife and then down at his daughter.

"What's going on?" Greg asked.

"Vanessa, can you tell your father what happened?" Gina asked.

"You need to promise me you won't get angry" Vanessa said quietly.

"Honey, I can't promise that but you need to tell me what's going on" Greg said.

"A couple years ago when I was going out with Michael, he asked me to send him some naked pictures of myself. So I did and as of this morning, they are all over the internet and in every magazine" Vanessa explained to her father.

Greg grit his teeth angrily. He rubbed his daughter's back soothingly.

"Vanessa, I am disappointed in you. Yes, you were young but that kind of thing is not something you should do" Greg said.

Vanessa cried in her father's arms. Greg's face softened and knew that Vanessa was truly hurting.

"Honey, maybe you should go upstairs and take a nap? It may help you feel a little better" Gina said.

Vanessa nodded slowly. She got off the couch and picked up her phone and walked upstairs to her childhood bedroom. Vanessa got under the covers and fell asleep, wishing this whole situation would just disappear. An hour later, Vanessa's phone rang. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the caller ID. Zac's name appeared on the phone. Vanessa sighed and answered the call.

"Hello?" Vanessa answered quietly.

"Oh baby, thank god you picked up. Are you okay?" Zac asked worriedly.

Vanessa shook her head but then realized her boyfriend couldn't see her.

"No, are you okay?" Vanessa asked.

"No, I feel horrible Van. I am in a different country and this happens. How are you doing baby? Talk to me" Zac said.

"I ruined my career and yours. I probably will not get hired or signed to do anything because of this" Vanessa cried.

"Honey, you did not ruin my career. Even if you did, it wouldn't matter to me. What matters to me is that you are okay. I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

"I want to be at home with you. But, I can't break my contract. In three weeks when I get home, you are the one and only person that I want to see. You are going to get through this and I am going to help you. Do you mind if I call my parents and tell them what's going on? I am sure mom is going to want to see you" Zac said.

"I feel embarrassed. Your parents are going to hate me" Vanessa said.

"Sweetheart, they love you to death. They could never hate you. So should I call my parents?" Zac asked.

"What if they don't want to see me?" Vanessa asked.

"Baby, they are going to want to see you and talk to you. Mom for sure is going to want to come down and see how you are doing. Don't worry okay? Let me take care of my parents" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said softly.

"I am going to call my parents but I will talk to you later okay? I love you Van" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

The couple hung up and Vanessa snuggled into her bed sheets. The world felt like it was spinning and wouldn't stop. Vanessa finally gave into the sleep that was trying to overtake her. She hoped this nightmare would come to an end soon.


	2. Talking to Mama Efron

Zac hung up his phone and sighed. He put both of his hands on his face. The love of his life was hurting and he couldn't be with her to comfort her. Zac picked up his phone again and dialed his mother's number. He waited for her to answer her phone until she finally picked up.

"Hello?" Starla answered.

"Mom! Have you looked on the internet this morning and seen the articles about Van?" Zac asked.

"Yes, I was going to call you later and tell you how crazy the tabloids are getting" Starla said.

Zac sighed.

"Mom, this time they are true" Zac said.

"What do you mean Zac?" Starla asked her son.

"Before High School Musical, Van took some pictures of herself for her boyfriend. She sent the pictures to him but he said that he never got them. Today, Van's publicist called her and said the pictures had been released. She's in pain, mom and I am not there to help her. I feel horrible" Zac said.

"Have you talked to her?" Starla asked.

"Yeah, it hurts that I can't be there with her. I want to come home so badly" Zac said.

"Honey, I know you are upset but you need to stay in Australia. Is she at home or is she with her parents?" Starla asked.

"She's with her parents. Mom, can you please go over there and make sure she is okay? You are the closest thing to me that she can get right now" Zac said.

"Okay Zac. But what if she won't talk to me?" Starla asked.

"She will want to talk to you. I told her you were going to want to come down and talk" Zac said.

"Did she agree? I don't want to push her" Starla said.

"She agreed" Zac said.

"Okay, then tomorrow I will go see her" Starla said.

"Thank you" Zac said.

"You are welcome" Starla said.

Starla and Zac talked for a little while longer until both of them hung up. Starla walked to the living room where her husband, David was sitting.

"I'm going to LA tomorrow to see Vanessa" Starla said.

"Is everything okay?" David asked.

"No but it will be" Starla said.

The next day Stella, Vanessa's sixteen year old sister walked into the house and saw her mother.

"Hi mom" Stella said.

"Hi honey" Gina said.

"I heard something at school today about Vanessa. It was crazy" Stella said.

"Stella, the news about Vanessa is true. Don't talk to her about it okay? She's really upset" Gina said.

"Okay. Is she still in LA?" Stella asked.

"No, she's upstairs" Gina said.

"Okay" Stella said as she walked upstairs.

Stella walked to Vanessa's room and poked her head in. She saw Vanessa lying on her side with tears running down her face. Stella knocked on the door softly. Vanessa looked at the door and tried to wipe her tears away.

"Nessa, it's okay. Don't hide what you are feeling from me. I heard what happened from someone at school. Are you okay?" Stella asked as she walked over to her sister's bed and sat on the edge.

"It's fine Stell. Don't worry about me okay? I'm fine" Vanessa said.

"Van, I know you better than anyone else. I know when you are hurting. You can't keep everything bottled up" Stella said.

Vanessa broke down. Stella hugged her sister tightly and kissed her head. She released some tears of her own. Stella had never seen Vanessa so upset and it hurt her to see her this way. She rubbed Vanessa's back soothingly.

"I'm sorry if everyone at school is bugging you about it. It's my fault" Vanessa said softly.

"Hey, it's okay. I ignore them. It's not your fault Nessa" Stella said.

"I love you so much Stella. I know this whole thing is hard for you too" Vanessa said.

"I love you too Vanessa. It's hard for me to watch my best friend hurt because of something like this. Have you talked to Zac?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, he said his publicist told him about everything. I didn't want him to be dragged into this too" Vanessa said as she wiped her tears away.

"Is he going to fly in to see you?" Stella asked.

"No, but Starla is coming tonight and that's the closest I will be able to get to him right now" Vanessa said.

"Okay, I will let you relax. I just wanted you to know that I am always here when you need to talk" Stella said.

"Thanks Stell" Vanessa said as she hugged her sister.

"No problem" Stella said as she walked out of the room.

Vanessa sat on her bed and picked up her phone. She dialed Zac's number and waited for him to answer.

"Hey baby" Zac answered.

"Hi, are you done filming for the day?" Vanessa asked as she lied down.

"Yeah I just finished. How are you doing?" Zac asked.

"I'm okay. Your mom is coming over tonight" Vanessa said.

"Oh okay. Babe, when my mom comes over snuggle with her and just talk about everything okay? She is the closest thing to me that you can get right now. Don't hold back just to make her have a peace of mind" Zac said.

"Okay, how's filming going?" Vanessa asked her boyfriend.

"Honestly, it's going horribly. I try to concentrate but my mind always drifts back to a beautiful brunette that is at home dealing with some really heavy stuff" Zac said.

Vanessa sighed.

"Zac, you need to concentrate. I know you are concerned about me but you need to do your job. I love you for thinking about me but right now your priority is work" Vanessa said.

"I know, it's just hard. You are dealing with all of this and I'm not there. Yeah work is my priority I agree with you there, but you are my priority too. I wish I was home with you and helping you through this instead of Stella or your mom dealing with all of it. I love you Vanessa Anne Hudgens" Zac said.

Vanessa had tears running down her face. She sniffled.

"I love you too and I miss you more than ever. I can't believe I did something so stupid" Vanessa cried.

"Baby, don't cry" Zac said.

Vanessa cried and didn't know how she was going to get through this.

"Van I am coming home" Zac said.

"No. You can't come home Zac. You have to stay in Australia" Vanessa said.

"Babe, I want to come home and see you. Will it make you feel better if I came on a weekend where I don't have to film anything?" Zac asked.

"What weekend do you not have to film?" Vanessa asked.

"This weekend" Zac said.

"Don't you have to be back by monday? You would have to leave on Sunday" Vanessa said.

"Yes, I will leave Friday morning and I will get there on Saturday morning. I will take all the time I can get with you" Zac said.

Vanessa sighed.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

"Alright, I will see you in two days okay?" Zac said.

"Okay, I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too baby girl" Zac said.

The couple hung up. Vanessa got off her bed and walked downstairs. She went into the kitchen and saw her mother.

"Are you okay?" Gina asked her daughter.

"Zac is coming home in two days" Vanessa said.

"I thought he had to stay for three weeks?" Gina asked.

"He does but he wants to come see me. He said he feels bad that he's not here while all of this stuff is going on" Vanessa said.

"Is he going to go back?" Gina asked.

"Yeah, he's just staying for the weekend" Vanessa said.

"Okay, are you going to go back to your house or his?" Gina asked.

"I don't know. It depends on how we feel" Vanessa said.

"Okay, what time is Starla coming tonight?" Gina asked.

"I think Zac said that she is going to be here around five. So I have an hour" Vanessa said.

"Alright, did you see Stella?" Gina asked.

"Yeah she came into my room when she got home. We had a little talk" Vanessa said.

"Oh. Stella was really worried about you" Gina said.

"I know. We talked for a while and she helped me through a breakdown" Vanessa said.

"She cares about you honey. Stella may only be sixteen but she knows you better than anyone else" Gina said.

"I know she does. It's just all of this photo scandal stuff is just draining me. Sometimes I feel like no one cares" Vanessa said.

"Everything will get better in time okay? Go get ready for Starla" Gina said as she kissing her daughter's cheek.

Vanessa walked upstairs and went into her bedroom. She was so happy that she had a family that had her back. An hour later, the doorbell rang. Vanessa walked downstairs and opened the door slowly. Starla Efron stood at the front door and smiled. Vanessa walked into her boyfriend's mother's arms without words. Starla kissed Vanessa's cheek softly.

"How are you doing honey?" Starla asked.

"I'm doing okay. Just trying to get through everything" Vanessa said.

"We are going to go to Zac's house so we can talk" Starla said.

"Okay" Vanessa said as she got her purse.

Vanessa and Starla drove to Zac's house in silence. Starla parked her car in the driveway and the two women got out of the car and walked into the house. Vanessa and Starla went into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Have you talked to Zac?" Starla asked.

"Yeah. I talked to him a couple hours before you came over. He said that he is going to come home for the weekend to see me. I told him not to but he said he is going to come anyway" Vanessa said.

Starla smiled.

"That's good. Vanessa sweetheart, Zac feels horrible. Yes he wasn't involved in any of it, but he hates seeing and hearing you depressed. I certainly don't like it either. Zac tried to get me to let him come home, but like you I told him to finish filming" Starla said.

"He said that he felt bad that he isn't here to help me through all of this. But he doesn't realize that he is. Zac's my strength and the only thing that is going to keep me from killing myself over this. I have cried day after day and asked myself why did this happen to me? But then I realize that without Zac, I wouldn't be sitting here and talking to you calmly right now" Vanessa said.

Starla smiled.

"Can I ask you a question about the pictures?" Starla asked.

"Okay" Vanessa said nervously.

"Honey, if anything I am asking makes you uncomfortable tell me and we will skip it" Starla said.

Vanessa nodded.

"Why did you take the pictures in the first place? I know your parents may have asked you this already but I want to know" Starla said.

Vanessa looked down at her hands and then looked up.

"I thought I was in love. I was sixteen and naive. I thought love was all about sex and stuff like that. My boyfriend at the time wanted some pictures because he was leaving on a trip for a month. I told him okay and I took the pictures. I sent them to his email and he never got them" Vanessa said as silent tears ran down her face.

Starla leaned over and hugged Vanessa. Vanessa wrapped her arms around Starla. She pulled back and wiped her tears away.

"Sorry" Vanessa said.

"Hey, it's okay. If you need to cry, then by all means cry. Did you tell Zac about the pictures when you first started dating?" Starla asked.

"No I didn't. I tried to block the memory out of my head" Vanessa said.

"Okay. So about Zac, do you trust him?" Starla asked.

"I trust him with my life" Vanessa said.

"You don't think he would try and look at the pictures on the internet?" Starla asked.

"No" Vanessa said softly.

"I'm not trying to pry honey, I just want to find out a couple things" Starla said.

Vanessa nodded.

"Do you love him?" Starla asked.

"Yes" Vanessa said simply.

Starla smiled. The two women continued to talk until they finished their conversation. They drove back to Vanessa's parents house. Vanessa promised Starla that she would keep her updated with everything. She walked into the house and went upstairs. Vanessa got into bed and fell asleep. She had two days until she could finally feel safe again.


	3. Vulnerable

The next morning, Vanessa woke up to her phone vibrating. She picked it up and looked at the screen.

_I'm about to board the plane. See you in a little while baby. Love you. _

Vanessa smiled. She knew that Zac would do anything to help her get through this. Vanessa got out of bed and walked downstairs.

"Good morning, Van" Gina said.

"Morning" Vanessa said.

"Your dad is coming back from his business trip today. I need to go pick him up at the airport" Gina said.

"Can I come?" Vanessa asked.

Gina sighed and looked at her daughter. Vanessa had dark rings under eyes, tearstains on her cheeks, and looked miserable.

"Sweetheart, I think it would be better if you stayed home. We will come right back. I just want you to be safe and not deal with the paparazzi" Gina said.

"I can't even go pick my father up from the airport. I wish this never happened" Vanessa cried.

Vanessa ran upstairs.

"Van" Gina said.

Vanessa ignored her mother. Gina heard the bedroom door slam and sighed. She left the house and drove to the airport to pick up Greg. An hour later, Vanessa heard the front door open. She walked downstairs and saw her dad walk into the house.

"Hi Van, how are you?" Greg asked his daughter.

"I'm okay. Zac is on a plane" Vanessa said.

"When is his flight supposed to land?" Greg asked.

"Tomorrow morning" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Greg said.

Vanessa walked back upstairs. She went into her bedroom and got into bed. Vanessa fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. A couple hours later, Vanessa woke up. She sat up in bed and looked at her wall. Vanessa had pictures from when she was in high school.

"Life was so much simpler then" Vanessa said.

Vanessa looked at her phone. She couldn't wait until she was in her boyfriend's arms. Vanessa knew that Zac was worried about her. She looked through her phone and found pictures of her and Zac at each other's homes and events. Vanessa smiled. There was a knock on the door and Stella opened the door.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Stella asked.

"Nothing, counting down the minutes until Zac lands" Vanessa said.

Stella smiled.

"Well do you want to take a break from doing that and watch a movie with me? We haven't really hung out in a while" Stella said.

"Sure" Vanessa said as she got off her bed.

The two sisters walked downstairs and went into the family room. Stella put the DVD into the DVD player and sat on the couch next to Vanessa. Two hours later, the movie ended and Vanessa stretched her body out.

"I love you Vanessa" Stella said.

"I love you too Stell" Vanessa said as she kissed her sister's cheek.

"You should go to bed. You look exhausted" Stella said.

"Yeah, I think I will" Vanessa said as she got up.

"Thanks for tonight. We both needed it" Stella said.

"Yeah I think we did too. Whenever you need to talk, you know I am here" Vanessa said.

"I know" Stella said.

Vanessa walked upstairs and went into her bedroom. She got into bed and fell asleep. Vanessa couldn't wait until she got to see Zac. The next morning, Vanessa woke up and looked at her phone. Zac's plane would be landing in an hour. Vanessa got up and walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom. Vanessa walked downstairs and went into the kitchen.

"I'm going to drive to the airport to pick up Zac" Vanessa said.

"No, you are not. I talked to him and he said that he is going to drive himself over here. He doesn't want you at the airport" Greg said.

"But dad please? I want to pick him up" Vanessa said.

"No Vanessa. We just want both of you to be safe honey" Greg said.

Vanessa sighed.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Greg kissed his daughter's head softly. Vanessa felt her phone vibrate. She looked at her phone and smiled.

_Just landed. Where are you?_

"Zac just landed" Vanessa said as she texted him back.

_At my parent's house. Can't wait to see you. _

Vanessa smiled and walked upstairs and finished getting ready. An hour later, the doorbell rang. Stella opened the front door and smiled.

"Zac Attack!" Stella yelled.

"Hey Stella, how's it going?" Zac asked as he hugged his "little sister".

"I'm doing okay. How's filming going?" Stella asked.

"It's going well. I am glad I got the weekend off so I could come over here" Zac said.

Vanessa slowly walked downstairs. Zac looked at the stairs and saw Vanessa and smiled. Vanessa ran down the stairs and jumped into her boyfriend's arms. She wrapped her legs around Zac's waist. Vanessa cried into Zac's shoulder. Zac rubbed his girlfriend's back soothingly.

"Wow, she is acting like she hasn't seen you in months" Stella said.

Zac smiled. He walked upstairs and went into Vanessa's childhood bedroom and closed the door. Zac sat on Vanessa's bed and kissed her head softly.

"How are you doing babe?" Zac asked.

Vanessa looked at her boyfriend with tears running down her face.

"I feel horrible. I can't leave the house because paparazzi is everywhere and it's not safe. I ruined everything for everyone" Vanessa said.

"Van, you didn't ruin anything. How about we go to my house and just relax okay?" Zac asked as he kissed Vanessa's lips softly.

"More please" Vanessa said.

Zac kissed Vanessa's lips passionately and wrapped his arms around her. Vanessa pulled back and leaned her forehead against Zac's.

"So do you want to go over there?" Zac asked.

Vanessa nodded.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

"Alright" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips one last time.

Vanessa put a baggy sweatshirt on and grabbed her phone. She then entwined her fingers with Zac's and the couple walked downstairs. Gina saw the couple walking downstairs and smiled.

"Hi Zac, how was your flight?" Gina asked.

"It was fine, no problems. I am going to take Van to my house" Zac said.

"Are you sure that is a good idea? The paparazzi will go crazy once they see that she's out" Gina said.

"She's got me. So she will be fine" Zac said.

"Okay" Gina said as she walked upstairs.

Zac put the hood of the sweatshirt on Vanessa's head, so it covered her face. Vanessa put her sunglasses on and took Zac's hand again.

"You ready baby?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

Zac and Vanessa walked out of the house and the paparazzi started to swarm around the couple.

"Guys step back please. Vanessa wants her privacy" Zac said.

The paparazzi stepped back and Zac helped Vanessa get into the car. He kissed her head softly. Zac closed the door and walked to the driver's side, ignoring the questions that were being asked by the paparazzi. He got into the car and started driving. Zac looked at Vanessa.

"You okay?" Zac asked.

Vanessa nodded slowly.

"I hate them. Every time I try to forget about this whole thing, they bring it up and make me feel horrible" Vanessa said as tears started running her face.

"I know baby, I know. But you are doing a great job. For not being out of your house until now, I think you handled it very well and I am proud of you" Zac said.

"I just want it all to disappear" Vanessa said.

Zac picked up Vanessa's hand and kissed it softly.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

Zac pulled into his driveway and closed the gate with his remote control. He parked his car and looked at his girlfriend.

"You ready to talk?" Zac asked.

Vanessa nodded. The couple got out of the car and walked to the front door. Zac unlocked the door and both of them walked in. Vanessa walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Zac sat next to her.

"Tell me what's on your mind" Zac said.

"I'm hurt and embarrassed. I took those pictures before I even got casted in High School Musical (do not own). The fact that they were released for the world to see, makes me angry. My family has to deal with all of the drama. Stella found out from people at school. That hurts. I feel like I let your parents down. What I did was stupid and I am stupid for doing it" Vanessa said.

"First of all, you didn't let my parents down. Babe, they know you and they know that you were young. My parents love you like their daughter and they will support you in whatever life throws at you. I agree that Stella finding out from people at school would hurt you. It hurts me too. Your family wants to help you get through this. Finally, you are not stupid. You are one of the smartest women I know. Don't let it get to you sweetheart" Zac said.

"I wish I never did it" Vanessa said.

"I know you do but you did. You need to be strong when you are out in public. When you get home, then you can curl up in your bed. You can't let people see that they got to you" Zac said.

"What do I do about Stella? I feel awful that people at her school are talking about it to her" Vanessa said.

"Well I know Stella and I know that she will speak her mind and defend you until the end. She loves you. Dylan told me that people were talking about you to him also. He stood up for you in public and didn't care how he looked" Zac said.

"I love Dylan" Vanessa said smiling.

"But you get my point. Has Nicole called you and told you how everyone was going to move past this?" Zac asked.

"Not yet. She is talking to everyone and figuring out a plan" Vanessa said as she leaned her head on Zac's shoulder.

"Okay" Zac said.

"Thank you for flying out here. Even though I told you not to" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled.

"Hey, I wasn't going to leave you here by yourself when you need me the most" Zac said.

"Are you ashamed of me?" Vanessa asked quietly.

Zac looked at his girlfriend, shocked at what she had just asked.

"Vanessa, the things you did in the past, are none of my business. I am going to support you no matter what. But listen to me when I say this, I will never ask you to send me pictures like that. I am not going to put you in that position. I care about you and I don't need a naked picture to satisfy me. Do you understand?" Zac asked.

Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah I understand. Thank you" Vanessa said.

"No problem. So do you want to sleep here tonight or do you want me to take you to your apartment? What do you want to do?" Zac asked his girlfriend.

"Wherever you are, I want to be" Vanessa said.

"So you want to stay here?" Zac confirmed.

"Yes" Vanessa said.

"Okay, do you want to go get your clothes from home or steal some of mine?" Zac asked.

Vanessa giggled.

"I will just borrow something of yours" Vanessa said.

"Alright" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

Zac got up and took Vanessa's hand. The couple walked upstairs and went into Zac's bedroom. Zac went over to his clothes drawer and pulled out a pair of his boxers, which Vanessa loved to wear to bed, and gave it to her. Vanessa looked around nervously.

"Baby, the bathroom is down the hall if you want to change there" Zac said.

Vanessa took Zac's boxers and walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She felt bad for Zac. He was here for only a day and she didn't even want him to see her naked. Vanessa sighed and put Zac's boxers on. She left the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry" Vanessa said.

Zac looked up at his girlfriend and his face softened.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. I know you are feeling vulnerable about taking off your clothes, especially in front of me. All I want is for you to be comfortable and safe okay? Don't feel like you have to do things just because we have done them in the past" Zac said.

"I want to do things normally. It's just when I am actually about to do them, I feel weird about it. I mean I can't even let you see me naked and you are only here for a day" Vanessa said as she sat on the bed.

"Vanessa, this whole thing has made you feel vulnerable about what and how much skin you show. It's going to take a little while until you are back to your normal self. If you don't want me to see you naked, then I am not going to see you naked. End of story. Don't worry about how trying to satisfy me. You call the shots" Zac said softly.

Vanessa nodded.

"I love you" Vanessa said as she kissed Zac's lips.

"I love you too baby. Get some sleep okay?" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said as she got into bed with Zac.

Zac knew that it was going to take time for Vanessa to heal from this. But he was willing to help her get through everything without thinking about himself. Vanessa was his life and he wanted the best for her.


	4. Stay Strong

The next morning, Vanessa turned over in bed and opened her eyes slowly. She smiled when she saw Zac's body lying down next to hers. Vanessa snuggled into her boyfriend's body. He was going to fly back to Australia that night. Zac wrapped his arms around Vanessa's waist and opened his eyes.

"Good morning" Zac said.

"Good morning" Vanessa said.

"How are you feeling today?" Zac asked as he moved a stray hair away from Vanessa's face.

"I don't know. I feel emotionless right now" Vanessa said.

Honey, maybe you need to talk to someone about it. It may help you feel better" Zac said.

Vanessa shrugged.

"I would just feel weird going to someone and talking about this and why I took the pictures. It's just a hard subject to talk about right now" Vanessa said.

"I understand. But, it may help you be able to move on and put it behind you" Zac said.

"I will think about it" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips softly.

"What time is your flight tonight?" Vanessa asked.

"Eight. I have a lunch date with Stella today" Zac said.

"Really?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, she asked me and I said yes" Zac said.

"Oh, am I allowed to come?" Vanessa asked.

"She said that she needed to talk to me about something, privately. I would have told her that I was going to bring you but she told me she needed to talk to me privately so I didn't say anything" Zac said.

"What does she need to talk to you about?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that I agreed to have lunch with her" Zac said.

"Okay, what time will you be done?" Vanessa asked.

"We probably will be done around two o'clock. She knows that I am leaving tonight and that I want to spend majority of my time with you" Zac said.

"Alright" Vanessa said as she got out of bed.

Zac got out of bed quickly and picked Vanessa up.

"Zac! What are you doing?" Vanessa said as she laughed.

"Are you going to be happy today?" Zac asked as he kissed Vanessa's cheek.

"Maybe" Vanessa said.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said as she kissed his lips.

"I am going to take a shower and get ready to go. Do you want me to drop you off at your mother's?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Zac said.

Zac picked out his clothes and walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, Zac came out of the bathroom and walked downstairs to find Vanessa in the kitchen. He looked at Vanessa's outfit and was confused.

"Are you ready to go?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, are you?" Zac asked.

"Yes" Vanessa said as she walked out of the kitchen and picked up her purse.

"You are going to go to your mother's house in my boxers? Does your mom even know we are having sex?" Zac asked.

"Well Zachary, I am sure she knows since we have been going out for almost three years. I want to be comfortable" Vanessa said as she wrapped her arms around Zac's neck.

"Okay, I can't argue with that" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

"Let's go" Vanessa said as she entwined their fingers together.

Vanessa put her sweatshirt on and sunglasses. Zac put the hood over her head and the couple walked out of the house. Zac put his arm around Vanessa so that her face was covered. The couple were met with paparazzi swarming the gate. Zac helped Vanessa get into the car and closed her door. He then got into the driver's side. Zac looked at Vanessa and entwined his fingers with hers.

"You okay?" Zac asked.

Vanessa had her head on the window. She looked at Zac and gave a small smile.

"I am going to miss you" Vanessa said.

"I know baby, I am going to miss you too" Zac said.

"You will be home in two weeks right?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, then I will be home for good" Zac said as he started driving.

"I think I am going to take you up on talking to someone about this" Vanessa said.

Zac looked at his girlfriend and smiled.

"Babe, I don't want you to be pressured into going to therapy. Don't go if I am the only reason you are going" Zac said.

"I have been thinking a lot since you mentioned it and I think I should try it. It may help me get through this" Vanessa said.

"Okay, if that's what you want to do, then I will support you one hundred percent, you know that" Zac said as he pulled into Vanessa's parents home.

"Thank you" Vanessa said.

The couple got out of the car and walked to the front door. Vanessa unlocked the door and they walked in. Zac and Vanessa walked into the kitchen and saw Stella.

"Hey" Vanessa said.

"Hey, how's it going?" Stella asked as she hugged her sister.

"It's going okay. Zac is leaving today" Vanessa said as she looked at her boyfriend.

"How are you Zaccy?" Stella asked.

"I'm doing okay. Are you ready to go?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Stella said.

"Alright. Babe, we are going to leave. Call me if you need anything" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Stella and Zac left the house. They got into the car and Zac looked at Stella.

"So what's going on Stell?" Zac asked his "little sister".

"I just need to talk to someone about this whole scandal or whatever it's being called now" Stella said.

Zac started driving and looked at Stella.

"Why don't you want to talk to Van about it?" Zac asked.

"I don't want her to know how I feel about it. I don't want to upset her or make her feel worse than she already does. I didn't want to tell my parents because they are dealing with it too. You are the closest person to her, Zac. You are like a brother to me and I just need to vent" Stella said.

Zac parked his car in the parking lot and they got out. Stella and Zac walked towards the restaurant and saw paparazzi. Zac put his arm around Stella, and she put her arm around Zac. Once they got past the paparazzi and walked into the restaurant and they looked at each other. Stella and Zac were seated and looking at the menu.

"So how are you feeling about this whole thing?" Zac asked.

"I feel hurt. Knowing that a stupid ex-boyfriend released pictures of my sister makes me angry and wanting to just cry. Van doesn't deserve to be treated like that. You know that she is the sweetest person you will ever meet" Stella said.

"I agree that she doesn't deserve to be treated like that but Van is a very strong woman. She will get through this, we just need to help her. My family feels horrible that this even happened. They want to help her get through this like your family and I do. Van was telling me that you heard about it from people at school" Zac said.

"Yeah I did. I seriously thought it was just another rumor or whatever but when I got home and found out it was true, my heart broke. I went upstairs and saw her in her bedroom, broken. I have never seen my sister and best friend in so much pain before" Stella said.

Zac's face softened and looked at Stella.

"I wish I was home when she found out. I felt terrible when my publicist told me about it. Stella, you are a great sister to Van. I know that this has been hard on you too. Can you promise me something?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Stella said.

"Promise me that when I leave tonight you just be around and hang out with Van until I come back. She is going to be upset when I leave and I don't want to put more stress on her" Zac said.

"I promise. You can count on me" Stella said.

"Thank you, is there anything else on your mind?" Zac asked.

"Would you ever ask my sister to take pictures of herself like that?" Stella asked quietly.

"I would never ask Van to do that. I love Vanessa and I don't want to hurt her or make her feel uncomfortable around me" Zac said simply.

Stella smiled.

"Thanks Zac" Stella said.

"No problem. You know that you can always come to me if you need to talk. I won't tell Van anything unless you say that I can" Zac said.

"I know, thanks" Stella said.

Zac and Stella left the restaurant. Zac drove back to the Hudgens' home. He parked the car in the driveway and looked at Stella.

"Thanks for meeting up with me Zac. I love you" Stella said as she hugged Zac.

"No problem. I love you too Stell. Remember, if you need to talk and you don't want Vanessa or your parents to know you can always call, text or email me. I may not answer right away but I will write or call you back as soon as I can" Zac said.

Stella nodded. They got out of the car and walked to the front door. Stella unlocked the door and they walked into the house.

"Van? We are home" Stella said.

Vanessa came downstairs and smiled. She walked up to Zac and kissed his lips.

"How was lunch?" Vanessa asked.

"It was good" Zac said.

Vanessa entwined their fingers together and walked upstairs. They walked into Vanessa's room. Vanessa closed the door and sat on her bed next to Zac.

"So what did Stella need to talk to you about?" Vanessa asked.

"She was just having problems at school and needed someone to talk to" Zac said.

"Why didn't she come to me?" Vanessa asked.

"She didn't want to stress you out" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.

Zac felt bad that he lied to Vanessa but he wanted to keep his promise to Stella.

"Do you want to go back to my house?" Zac asked.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Vanessa and Zac got off the bed and walked downstairs. They left the house and got into the car. Zac drove to his house and parked the car. The couple got out and walked to the front door. Zac unlocked the door and they walked in. Vanessa walked into the house and went into the living room. Zac followed her and sat next to her on the couch.

"I never asked you about this so don't get mad okay?" Vanessa said.

"Baby, I'm not going to get mad. I promise and even if I did, I would tell you why it made me feel that way" Zac said as he entwined their fingers together.

"How do you feel about the scandal? Don't hold anything back just to make me feel better. I want to know" Vanessa said.

Zac sighed and looked at his girlfriend.

"Sweetheart, I am honestly hurt. I am hurt that some stupid guy would release naked pictures of my girlfriend. I am angry because of what it did to you. When Nicole called you, I know you were hurting and didn't know what to do. This whole thing made a sweet, loving, caring, and amazing woman feel like crap. I insisted that I wanted to come down here to see you because I knew that out of everyone, you needed me the most. I didn't care if we had to film anything or that I would be missing press conferences. All I cared about was how the love of my life was doing. That's how I feel about it" Zac said.

Vanessa had tears running down her face. Zac kissed Vanessa's cheek softly.

"I'm sorry for taking the pictures" Vanessa cried.

Zac took Vanessa into his arms. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Baby, it's okay" Zac said.

Vanessa pulled back and wiped her tears away.

"I love you and thank you for telling me how you feel" Vanessa said.

"I love you too baby girl. But hey, let's not cry anymore okay? We still have two hours before I need to go to the airport so let's be happy" Zac said.

Vanessa nodded. Zac leaned in and kissed Vanessa's lips softly. The couple then decided to watch a movie together. Two hours later, Zac looked at the clock and sighed.

"Babe, I need to go" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Zac picked up his bag and looked at Vanessa, who had tears running down her face. He put his bag down and opened his arms. Vanessa ran into them and wrapped her legs around her boyfriend's waist.

"I will see you in two weeks okay? I love you Vanessa" Zac said.

"I love you too Zac, so much" Vanessa said.

Zac pulled back so he could see Vanessa's face. He leaned in and kissed her lips passionately. Vanessa pulled back slowly and looked at her boyfriend.

"You better go, you will miss your flight" Vanessa said.

"Okay, I will call you when I get there" Zac said kissing Vanessa one last time.

Zac left the house and walked to his car. He got in and drove away. Vanessa sighed. She knew that she had to be strong not only for herself, but for Zac as well.


End file.
